Pipe cleaner



Jan. 18,1927. 1,614,571

J. PETERSON PIPE CLEANER Filed Nov. 24; '1925 INVENTOR. .jbmq THAN P57517501! Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

u sirens sirmis sf oer-sleet JONATHAN PETERSON, or .IBROOKIIYN, New YORKASS'IGNOWfiO cameraman MA CHINE COMPANY; 'OF' NEEV -YORK, N

Y., A coarenarioiv'or'innsawnaa.

PIPE CLEANER; k!

Application filed November 24. 1925. w SerialiNo i' 7 1L044.

greaten :convenience and other advantages in carryingiand "use; (I

Pipe cleaners such as above described-have heretofore zbe'en providedin two former- Either straight, or;bentdoubledin the middle. In order: to go" through the stem bore oi theaverage pipe the cleaners have tobe-of -considerablelength and are in-fact usually about 7 long. Therefore wvhen theyrare furnished in-packages instraightformezthe packagexis :Of' such length that it is not readily accommodated in the average pocket-J The contaihers are also-necessarily, veryflexible or'bendable in order to easily folloWtheu-contour of thestem bore, andtherefore these-straight gcleaners when carriedin-the pocketrare frequently bent-to such an ententl that it is-difiicult to straighten. them for 'properinsertion in the pipe stern. This cai-fses great annoyance-t0 pipe smokers and; relatively great'ivaste of thecleaners. \Vhenfui'nishedin' doubled form the singleiwcleanerbr a package of them-is, o'l course niuclrshorten but the central bend in-the wire body must be made quite sharp to prowide ithewdesired compactness, and it is difficult or impossible to properly straighten out t-hisbend, and the'cleanertends to easily re-bend 'or kink at the place Where it was originallybent, and it is diflicult or impossible towproperly passthis bent or kinked portion thrbugh-the pipe stem.

Towavoid thesedifficulties and disadvantagesandat the same time toprovide'an appliance: which is in much more compact form than any heretofore provided, 1 and ca- H pable of beingeasily'carried in any pocket Withoutinconvenience tothe uservor risk of damage: to the cleaner, ormore conveniently and compactlyqaaekaged; as explained hereafter, 11 arrangeior' provide a cleaner which may have the basic characteristics of the'ordinary pipe cleaneras above described, that-is a bendable avire 'bodyprovided Wltll a brush surface in the form of a flat; close I coil or v convolute, which may be circular or oval in general term or niay e ven be of more or less polygonal outline. The inherent characteris- -t1cs ofth'e bendable wu'ejbodyv are such that it is self-retained ill-E118 stated COllfOilll, without anyitendency to spring out: of shape or .uncoil until intentionally uncoiled by the user; and no container or-retainer is needed to naintainithe cleaner in ithestated form. The --cleaner sQ- arranged is very compact,"

thinQ'and ilatsarrd hasaa diameter, of only,v

about 1 or less; and-therefore. may beieas- 11}; and conveniently carriedin. any,,po.fcke't,

such as a vest orticket pocket, Withoutiii-- terfering;With{other pocket contents and Y with no practicalpossibility. offdef ormation or other injury tov thecleanerl The curvature of the wirebodyl'is mede'rate and reguof the vire at any pomtQand it may there lar, without any sharp, bending or kinking I tore be :ea'sily'uncoiled or approximately. or

I enti rely straightened for use, or fed into'the pipev'stem bore and at the'sanie time 'au-- toinat callyv ,uncoileol, east-more particularly" explained i hereafter, Without anyfrisk or practical possibility of producing any, unde sired kinksi-ors sharp bends;

The accompanying drawing shov s'lcertaiiu exemplifying embodiments of the invention.

After; consideringfthis example skilled persons will understand that many var ations may be made Without departing froinithe' pri-nciples of theinvention and I contemplate theemployment of anyistructurestha t are properly within thescope'. of. the append ell-claims.

Figeg l is a plan view of a' pipe cleaner embodyingtthe "invention in one form: Fig lilis an ed'g'egview. v Fig Z is aplan view 'fof a inodification'if. Fig. 3 illustratesone convenient i'nod'e'of' use.

Fig; 4 indicates one manner of convenient pocket carrying of one typical form of thecleaner-.

Fi shows one convenient- Way [in which the cleaners unaybe packaged.

Fig- 6 explalnsathe fundamental structure and shape; ot- !one ordinary, form of pipe cleaner, asiheretofore made andzs'olda" shows the sametype of pipe cleaner 1n; the, other common commercial form." that is bent atthe center, or doubled.

The typical commercial pipe cleaner is shown in one of the usual forms, that is, straight, in Fig. 6. The base or body 1 consists of two bendable Wires tightly twisted ogether and holding between them fibers or bristles 2, which are by the twisting of the wire placed in a generally helical arrange ment, so that the entire surface of the finished cleaner is a substantially cylindrical, .lexible brush. The wire body is here referred to as bendable in substantial distinction from merely flexible, because the wire is of such quality or temper that it is easily bent and tends to remain in any form produced by such bending. hen sharply bent at any place, however, it is dificult or impossible to again entirely straighten out this bend, and of course, the metal is so deformed by sharp bending that it is substantially weakened and tends to easily bend or kink again at the same point. The commercial cleaner in straight form as shown in Fig. 6, is substantially 7 long and is usually sold in packages of about a dozen. Where the user pockets them in package form or singly, the length of the cleaners is such that they will protrude more or less from the average pocket, and even if entirely contained within a pocket they are so long that they are practically always bent or kinked to a substantial extent by reason of natural body movements and bending of the pocket of the garment. The long straight cleaner moreover, is inconvenient for carrying because of its length, regardless of bending, and is usually packaged with a long paper wrapper about the central part of the package and the ends of the cleaners protruding so that these ends become bent over more or less sharply at the point Where they protrude from the wrapper, producing "cry often the sharp bonds or kinks above referred to.

Fig. 7 shows another common commercial form, in which the same cleaner'is bent in the middle or doubled, and this bend is substantially sharp and cannot be readily straightened out, for reasons above explained. While a package of the doubled cleaners is shorter lengthwise than when the cleaners are straight, it is much more bulky laterally and therefore inconvenien to carry, and the cleaners are also liable to more or less' additional deformation in the Ways above described, because the doubled package is still about 3% long. lVhen the pipe smoker attempts to use one of the cleaners of either commercial form, he finds that it is, as a rule, more or less bent or kinked and especially in the case of the doubled cleaners there is always a sharp bend at the middle, which cannot be readily straightened out, and in either case when the cleaner is insorted into the pipe stem bore, additional undesired bending occurs With obvious inconvenience to the user, and many defective cleaners have to be thrown away.

By experiment and discovery I have found that the above dilficulties and disadvantages may be entirely avoided and convenient pocket carrying at the same time provided for, by arranging one of the above described or any substantially similar or suitable pipe cleaner in the form of a substantially fiat coil or convolute, the turns of which are usually close together and the plane dimensions are usually as small as is practicable for the total length of the cleaner, or in other words, the coil is preferably substantially close and compact.

Fig. 1 shows the cleaner A in the form of a flat circular coil or convolute, the turns of which lie close together as above stated, and the central turn or coil a is of substantially the smallest practicable radius in order to provide for the smallest practical overall dimension or diameter.

Fig. 2 shows another arrangen'ient in which the coil or convolute is substantially oval. Evidentally the exact form may vary considerably and the general shape of the coils or convolutes may even be substantially polygonal. In such cases they Will, of course, approach in a geometrical sense the oval or circular formation of Fig. 1 or 2.

Fig. 3 shows how the outward end of the coiled cleaner may be easily inserted in the end of a pipe stem and evidently, as this portion of the cleaner is pushed farther and farther into the stem, the coil is automati caily unrolled and straightened, or the curvature is modified, to practically automatically and easily conform to the shape of the stem bore. There is no sharp bend 6r kink and no possibility of rebonding or kinking at such a point. There is also a minimum of waste from defective cleaners. Much. greater facility in use is thus provided as compared with previous forms, but particularly the thin, compact arrangement of the cleaner, as shown in edge view, Fig. 1, permits it to be easily and conveniently carried in any pocket, such as vest pocket V, Fig. i. When so carried it takes up no appreciable room, causes no inconvenience or discomfort to the user, and is practically immune from damage since any bending of the users body or the garment pocket is insuliicient to appreciably deform or perma nently distort the cleaner, and it will re main in proper condition for use indefinite 1y. There is therefore no risk. of inadvertent bending or kinking as above explained in connection with the ordinary straight or doubled cleaners, and waste is evidently immensely reduced.

Fig. shows how any reasonable number, say a dozen or more of the cleaners, may be very compactly packaged in roll form and when so packaged, the roll takes up very biLd little space in the pocket or elsewhere, and the cleaners are practically immune from injury, for obvious reasons.

I claim 1. As a new article of manufacture, a pipe cleaner in the form of a flat coil which is self-retained in stated form by its inherent characteristics.

As a new article of manufacture, a pipe cleaner in the form of an extensible, flat convolute, selhretained in the stated form by the inherent bendable character of the pipe cleaner.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a pipe cleaner in the form of an extensible, circular coil, the convolutions of which are all in substantially the same plane, and which is sell'1'etained in the stated form by the inherent bendable character of the pipe cleaner.

4. A pipe cleaner consisting of a bendable wire body of substantial length provided with a brush surface substantially throughout its length and coiled in the form of an extensible compact, flat convolute, this form being retained until altered for use by the natural set of the wire body.

5. A pipe cleaner consisting of a bendable wire body 01 substantial length provided with a brush surface substantially throughout'its length and coiled in the form of an extensible compact, flat, round coil, this form being retained until altered for use by the natural set of the wire body.

6. A pipe cleaner consisting of a substan tially non-resilient, bendable wire bodyof substantial length, provided with a brush surface self-retained in the form of a close, substantially round coil, the convolutions of which lie substantially in the same plane.

Signed at New York city in the county oi New York and State of New York this 23rd day of Novbr. A. D. 1925.

JONATHAN PETERSON. 

